Out of Reach
by Treenuh
Summary: Chilton Verse One Shot. Rory Gilmore makes a change after Tristan Dugrey's exit, turning around everything in Chilton. She's tired of hiding her feelings and it's time she does something about it. Trory.


**AN: **Just a little one shot I made ages ago to get rid of the Trory craving I had. It's not realistic, and it's not your typical Rory, that's why it's called fan**fiction**.

I own none of this, except the plot.

* * *

"_I gotta go. So, I would kiss you goodbye but, uh, your boyfriend's watching. Take care of yourself, Mary."_

Why did those words continually repeat in her mind? Because she loved him that's why, and all it took was him moving away to Military School in North Carolina for her to finally admit her feelings.

_I gotta go. _Stupid Tristan, getting into trouble and getting sent to Military school; she didn't want to say goodbye to him but she knew that he had really messed up big time and it was too late for any apologies. Rory wanted to tell him how much she would miss him that night, seeing his face and the vulnerability that his eyes held but alas her shyness had the best of her and she just stood staring at him.

_So, I would kiss you goodbye but, uh, your boyfriend's watching. _Stupid Dean, being the overprotective overbearing boyfriend and not even letting her look at him let alone give him some kind of affection as a farewell to the annoying yet gorgeous being that was Tristan Dugrey.

Tristan was right about Dean after all. Although he had never really said anything directly to Rory other than what seemed like jealous insults, Rory was aware that Tristan thought he wasn't good enough for her. Rory found out that Tristan was right when she and Dean got in a big blow out a week after Tristan had left. The reason for the fight was Rory not spending enough time with Dean and Dean feeling like he deserved better. Talk about being annoyingly clingy.

_Take care of yourself, Mary._ She certainly did take care of herself. The breakup with Dean was what could be considered as the turning point of Rory's Chilton reputation. No, she didn't become a Chilton slut strutting around with hooker heels and no underwear under her skirt; she simply broke out of her shell; stopped being such a Mary.

She was more outgoing and less bookish. She talked to people she never thought she would talk to and even came to find that some of Tristan's old friends weren't as bad as she thought they were. She still sat at her usual table at lunch, but now she was joined by Paris, who she actually befriended, as well as Madeline, Louise, and two of Tristan's more mature friends Rory had became very close with, Eric and Andrew.

Eric and Andrew were the better influences in Tristan's life that hated Duncan and Bowman. Tristan hung out with both sets of guys during his Chilton career, but Rory found out that the more suffocated Tristan felt from his father's restrictions, the more he spent time with the rebellious and ultimately idiotic Duncan and Bowman. Eric and Andrew had both been keeping an eye out on Rory after Tristan had left under Tristan's instruction, but Rory was unaware of their presence until the day she had told off Duncan and Bowman.

-------  
_Rory was at her locker packing up books she would need from what seemed like a relatively short day, but that was probably only because of the fun she had being more outgoing. Today was her appearance in Chilton as the new Rory. Along with her adjusted uniform and higher heeled shoes, she also had applied more makeup and switched her large unwieldy yellow backpack to a large BCBG tote her mother had purchased her in honor of her new look._

_When Rory walked into school, she had immediately received many surprised looks and guys mumbling things that Rory frankly did not want to hear about. Instead of shrinking down like the old Rory would, she instead gave them a bright smile and a wave as she went along her day breaking her barriers down that she had built so high up during her Chilton career. _

_Today was definitely a successful day, and Rory was happy that she had managed to avoid any drama that she had been anticipating. However, she jinxed herself because as she bent over thinking she was alone in the hallway, two chuckles came from behind her; immediately causing her to jump up and pull her skirt down, a hint of her old sheepish ways coming through. _

"_Wonderful view, don' you think Bowman?" said the voice. _

_Rory turned around to come face to face with the two dickheaded reasons Tristan was gone in the first place. "Screw off," she spat slamming her locker shut and glaring at Duncan who had been the idiot who decided to talk first. _

"_Tsk, tsk, Mary. That's not very nice," Bowman said with a pout. Rory snapped. No one had called Rory Mary since Tristan had left the school. Rory didn't really know why, but she guessed it was out of respect for him, knowing the soft spot that Tristan apparently had for her._

"_Don't call me Mary," she said through clenched teeth. _

"_What you going to do about it Mary?" Duncan asked with a smirk which was quickly wiped off by Rory's palm connecting with his face. _

"_If it weren't for you two Tristan would still be here, with __**me**__. Tristan would still fucking be here if it weren't for you and your fucking stupid ass ideas. 'Oh let's break into a safe to be dick heads'," Rory yelled mimicking a male's voice at the last part. She was about to take a whack at Bowman when a stronger arm held hers back. _

"_I think you guys should get the hell away. You know what Tristan told us," the voice said. Duncan and Bowman's looks of fear increased and they walked off quickly, trying to get away from Rory and the two new guys as fast as they could. Rory turned around still angry and was about to yell at the guy who held her back but stopped when she was greeted with two giant smiles._

"_Good job Rory, we've wanted to do that even since our man Tristan left but then that would've only made them want you more," the brunette who was still holding onto her arm said. _

"_Who are you?" Rory asked bluntly. _

"_Eric Renaldo and Andrew Lawrence, your new body guards," the other raven haired boy replied before launching their explanation of Tristan's directions._

_------- _  
Rory now lived in Chilton the way she did all in memory of Tristan. She missed Tristan immensely but when it came to communication with him she was still that shy girl, too scared to make any contact. She smiled wistfully replaying the memory of their final encounter when a familiar voice spoke.

"Earth to Gilmore."

"Huh?" Rory asked snapping out of her thoughts and looking around realizing she was at the lunch room.

"You were thinking about Dugrey again weren't you?" Louise asked smirking.

"Maybe," Rory replied. There was no denying it, the whole school knew about Rory's feelings for Tristan and sympathized with her, knowing how hard it must be to know you love someone, know they love you back, and yet distance doesn't permit anything to happen.

"Rory just call him," Eric said, "I have his number I'd be happy to give it to you. Stop him asking about you all of the time."

"Eric you promised you wouldn't tell him about how I've changed or how much I talk about him!" Rory shot back. Eric held his hands up in mock surrender, "Chill Rory, I haven't. He asks how you are, I say good, he pretends he doesn't care but then asks what you've been doing in school, who's been hitting on you, stuff like that. I tell him we're taking good care of you, but he doesn't know we're friends. I make up an excuse to hang up and then he goes off to dream about you."

Rory smiled. It was good to know Tristan thought about her as much as she thought about him, which was all the time. Everyone was aware about that fact too, and she was surprised that they didn't complain about it more. Even her mom knew and had set up several wallowing nights for her and Rory, trying to cheer her up the when couldn't stop thinking about him, but they didn't really help.

_Then it hit her like a ton of bricks._

"I'm so stupid!" Rory yelled smacking herself in the head.

"What?" Andrew asked immediately with the others looking at her curiously.

"I have to do something! I sit here, thinking about him and talking about him and missing him but that's it! I have to do something!" she yelled now standing up and with a determined look on her face.

"So you want that number?" Madeline asked.

"No!" Rory replied. Her friends' curious faces changed to confused ones. "I'm going to North Carolina!" she exclaimed. Paris spit out the water she was drinking and screamed "What!" with the rest of them echoing.

Rory nodded her head furiously with a crazy grin on her face as her friends watched her closely.

"Rory, hun, that's crazy," Louise said talking to Rory slowly like she was a 5 year old.

Rory frowned. "No it isn't. Is it?" she asked her sudden enthusiasm quickly disappearing. She sat back down and put her head in her hands allowing herself to let out the tears she tried to hold back every time she thought about him. "It is," she mumbled. Andrew immediately wrapped an arm around her and rubbed soothing circles on her waist. He shot Louise a glare for saying what she did and the group shared their concerned looks before Rory got up and out of Andrew's touch.

"I'm going home early today guys, take notes for me," she said with her head hanging low from embarrassment.

"Rory, I'm sorry," Louise said softly.

"No, no it's alright. You're right… it's a silly idea. I don't know what I was thinking," Rory replied defeated with a sheepish smile. No one had a chance to say anything because she was gone with in a second, running out of the cafeteria without looking back. Running away from her problems, something she had learned from Tristan. Skipping classes? Another thing she had learned from Tristan. She was living in his memory more and more each day, and it killed her to know that everything she did would remind her of him.

-----  
The group sat eating in silence when Eric finally spoke up. "It wasn't a completely horrible idea you know…"

"It was, first of all she would be missing school. Second of all, she doesn't know where the school is there and how she would find him. Third, even if she did find out where he was, do you seriously think they would let her in? What's the point of going there when she can just call?" Paris rambled.

"She gets to see the guy she loves," Andrew replied without skipping a beat. "Isn't it all worth if it's for love?"

"Have you been watching your sister's soap operas again?" Eric asked jokingly while Paris thought over his words.

"I was pissed man they killed off Joseph," Andrew replied seriously. Eric just raised his eyebrow and shook his head.

Paris sighed. She was always the rational one, thinking things that didn't have to be thought about 5 times over before acting on it. She lived in fear of regret and embarrassment, and tried to protect people she cared about from it to. However, Andrew was right. Rory loved the guy and maybe seeing him face to face would be what she needed. "I'll tell her tomorrow then," Paris said while the group nodded in approval.

-----  
Rory drove home in her mom's jeep and plopped down onto the couch too tired to do anything but think about her 'crazy' idea. _It's not that crazy. I mean with him being in high society all I have to do is call Grandma and I can get his location. Then I would be able to see him again, and tell him my feelings… how is that crazy?_ As she played different scenarios that could take place in her mind, she drifted off into a dream filled sleep.

Rory was awoken an hour later by her mother's arrival home and Rory spilled her heart out to her mother, explaining her horrible day and how much she missed Tristan. That night, she and her mother had yet another wallowing night in honor of the infamous blonde boy and Rory went to sleep still thinking about how she was going to tell Paris the next day her idea wasn't stupid and she was going to **eventually **go through with it.

However, Lorelai had another plan in mind that would assure Rory would see Tristan again. As soon as Rory was asleep, she went off and began making the necessary phone calls to help make the plan a successful one.

**----- The Next Morning-----**

"It's 5 to eight and Rory isn't here yet, should we be worried?" Louise asked waiting at her locker the next morning expecting her to come bounding down the hall way at any minute.

Madeline shrugged as Paris looked around anxiously. Today would be the day she had to apologize to Rory and she hated apologizing to anyone, considering she liked to see herself as always right. "You don't think she ran away to try and find him did you?" she asked suddenly concerned.

"Nah," Eric answered immediately brushing the idea off.

-----  
Miles away in Hartford Airport Rory sat on a plane destined to go to North Carolina, still clad in her Chilton uniform. Since it wasn't take off yet, she was still allowed on her cell phone and she sat talking to her mother telling her exactly how crazy she was.

"I can't believe you went through all this trouble mom, I could've waited until summer. I'm missing school for God's sake!" Rory hissed on the phone.

"My dear daughter, it's Thursday and you wont' be missing much anyways and do you want to see Bible Boy or not?" Lorelai replied shaking her head at her daughter's uptight attitude about the plan that was her idea in the first place.

"Of course I do mom, but a little notice would've been nice. I mean I'm in my Chilton uniform! I walk into the military school camp like this and guys will eat me up like a piece of candy. I can't believe you even slutified it up more! I was fine with the regulation pushing 3 inches above the knee skirt I had before, but 6 inches mom!" Rory spat into the phone not caring about the 20 year old looking man that was clearly finding amusement in the conversation.

"I swear, sometimes I wonder if you're really my daughter," Lorelai joked causing Rory to sigh.

"It's just sudden that's all… I only have a duffle bag packed, and I don't know how to get to the camp and where to look for him," Rory reasoned.

"Don't worry about it, you'll be brought to the hotel by a driver grandma hired for you. From there you drop your bag off and then you go back to the driver and tell him to take you to the school, and then you go to the school and… you figure out how to let the guard let you in, you find Bible Boy and you live happily ever after!" her mother exclaimed mumbling the part about the guard.

"What! You didn't have grandpa talk to the guard?" Rory asked.

"Well he did, but the guard said that visiting days are only on weekends and so no can do unless it's a family emergency and considering we aren't family…" Lorelai ranted.

"Mom! I can't believe this! I'm getting off the plane!" Rory hissed getting up but before she could get out of her row of seats a voice spoke over the intercom.

"Hello and thank you for flying with Jet Blue, our take off to Raleigh, North Carolina will be taking place shortly so we please ask you to place all your seats in the upright position, secure all of your belongings and turn off all electronics including cell phones and lap tops. As you can see the seatbelt light has been turned on so it is a necessity that you fasten your seat belts and watch the safety video we will be playing on the screen in front of you," the flight attendant announced.

"I guess this is goodbye for now Rory, I'll miss you kid. Be safe and do what you have to do. Love you," Lorelai said. Roy sat down taking a deep breath. "Love you too," she said before shutting off her phone and laying her head back, watching the instructional video that began to play.

The 20 year old man next to her chuckled. "You and your mother have an interesting relationship," he commented with a smirk that reminded Rory of Tristan's.

"I'm hoping you don't mean anything perverted by that because I have mace in my purse," she mumbled thinking he couldn't hear it.

"I'll keep my mouth shut," he replied giving her a small smile causing her to blush._ This was going to be a long trip. _

------  
"Guys I just called Lorelai to find out what was up with Rory and you won't believe what she told me," Louise said running over to the lunch table excited to spread the gossip.

"Rory's sick?" Andrew asked.

"No," Louise quickly said, "Last night she and Rory had this huge wallowing session because Rory was so upset about Tristan and Lorelai felt so bad so later that night she made a few phone calls. To who you may ask?" she asked answering her own question. "To Emily Gilmore to find out what school Tristan was at. Apparently this morning she sent Rory on plane down to North Carolina to go talk to lover boy."

Her friends stared at her with their mouths open before Eric spoke, "About damn time!"

"I wonder where she is right now?" wondered Madeline.

-----  
"Ma'am, we're here," The driver said to her pulling up to an iron gate with a guard's booth to the left of it.

"Wish me luck," Rory mumbled before stepping out of the car and straightening out her skirt, slowly making her way to the booth. She had quickly dropped her things off at her hotel, wanting to get to Tristan as soon as possible before her confidence she had built up on the plane wore off.

As she approached the glass window she saw that a man in a camouflage uniform with a shaved head a serious expression on his face, he didn't look a day over 25. Rory cleared her throat, "Hi, I'm Rory Gilmore here to visit Tristan Dugrey," she said trying to look as professional as she could in her white thigh highs, short blue plaid shirt, and white un-tucked button up shirt with the top few buttons opened up.

"Are you family?" the man asked gruffly after giving her a once over.

"No, this is kind of a… surprise," Rory said biting her bottom lip.

"Visiting days are Saturday and Sunday ma'am, you'll have to come back then," the man replied sternly.

"But sir you don't understand I have to see him today, our grandmother is sick," Rory lied.

"I thought you said that you weren't family?" the man asked with an eye brow raised.

"I was just joking," she tried. The man chuckled lightly before speaking. "You know they call me the human lie detector Miss," he said seriously once more. Rory frowned.

"I can't come back this weekend, I flew here all the way from Connecticut and can only stay one day because I have to tell him something of utter importance. You can't just send me home because it's the wrong day!" Rory exclaimed.

"I'm sorry miss, it's the policy. Everyone abides by the rules, and so you must also," the man said with a final nod summoning her away. Rory blinked back tears, knowing that if she let them out her mascara would run and she would look like an idiot in front of a Military Man. She slowly turned around defeated; thinking about how her dreams of seeing Tristan wouldn't be fulfilled. She was probably less than yards away from him and yet so far.

Then the inner Tristan spoke to her; the one that was obnoxious and that wouldn't let go without a fight. It asked her if she was going to give up and her answer showed as soon as she turned around abruptly with a look of pure determination plastered on her face.

The man looked up as she approached the window again and she looked down at his hands finding what she was looking for. The man sent her a questioning look, "Is there something you forgot?" he asked.

Rory shook her head and looked pointedly at his finger. "You're married," she stated.

The man chuckled and shook his head. "If you think you're going to get in by flirting it isn't going to work Miss Gilmore," he replied. Rory laughed along with him. "No, no but I just want to know do you love your wife?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "Of course I do ma'am, she's my wife."

"Does she love you back?" she asked.

The man laughed again, "I would think so ma'am, she is pregnant with my son." Rory was getting somewhere.

"And after working here, do you get to go home to her?" she asked. The man nodded once again.

"And do you two get to express to each other or tell each other in anyway that you love each other?" she asked getting somewhere. The man blushed a bare minimum. "Ma'am like I said she's pregnant with my son."

Rory nodded in comprehension before asking her final question. "Sir, you have someone you love who loves you back and you're both aware of that love you two have. Do you have any idea how lucky you are?"

The man wrinkled his brow, "Are you going somewhere with this?"

Rory nodded. "Tristan Dugrey loves me, he's loved me since we went to school together but I never gave him the time of day because I was too blind to look past his rich boy façade and see the real him. But then he left to go to this place and I realized through his friends and by hearing about the real him how much he loved me and how much I feel the same way. The problem is he doesn't know I know and he doesn't know I feel the same way. Can you imagine what it's like loving someone but not knowing they feel the same exact way? Because that's what Tristan is in there feeling right now! And can you imagine being me? Knowing he loves me and knowing I love him back but not being able to tell him because he's gone! Can you imagine not being able to tell your wife you love her? I flew here all the way from Connecticut to spill my heart out to him, and I'm only here for today before I get back on that plane and the only thing stopping me is those iron gates!" Rory yelled pointing to the gate for emphasis.

The man looked at her, not believing he set himself up for that. He felt for the girl but didn't show it on his exterior. With a final sigh he pressed the button opening the gate.

Rory heard the gates slide open and looked at the man surprised. "I know Dugrey personally; you're his Mary aren't you?"

Rory nodded slowly as the guy smiled. "You're different than he described you, but he's a lucky guy none the less. Go on and get him."

Rory smiled gratefully. "Thank you so much sir you're going in my will," she said. The guy laughed, "My name's Caleb. But don't tell anyone I let you in got it?"

Rory nodded and ran through the gates as fast as her black high heeled school shoes with allowed, a sudden rush of adrenaline hitting her. But then she realized she had no idea where to look for Tristan. She saw a group of guys that looked about her age all with shaved heads and in uniform gathered together casually in the middle of a vacant field. She approached them, sifting through their faces looking for Tristan but had no such luck. They all looked up at her surprised to see a girl who didn't have short hair and wasn't covered up in a military uniform.

"Can we help you princess?" one of them asked looking her up and down with a smirk. She automatically crossed her arms over her chest in self consciousness.

"Cut it out Gledhill," another said scolding. "Ma'am is there something you need?" he asked with a smile.

"Yea, actually I was looking for someone, he's a junior here," Rory replied thankful that at least one of them wasn't a total pervert.

"Well all juniors today had only one instruction and it just ended and we're allowed the rest of the day off Miss. So he's somewhere around the junior camp which are all the buildings and fields with the giant 'J' on them. You can try the junior barracks which are just a couple buildings down but again we're allowed to go anywhere on our camp so it may be a little hard to find who you're looking for," he said putting Rory out a little but not enough to stop her.

"Ok thanks," she replied running off towards the J labeled buildings.

"What's you're name?" the one who was eyeing her yelled.

"Lorelai," she yelled back with her ponytail wagging behind her.

-------  
"Whoever she's looking for is one lucky fucker," Jake Gledhill commented.

"Man shut up you pervert, let's hit the showers," Frankie, the one who had talked to Rory, replied. The other guys nodded and got up with him heading to the showers. They quickly launched a discussion on the great assets and aspects of the girl they had just seen. As they neared the entrance of the communal showers, Tristan Dugrey approached them.

"Who you guys talking about?" he asked noticing the way they were smiling and talking about 'never ending legs that were covered with thigh high tights'.

"Dugrey you missed it!" Jake exclaimed. "There's a skirt on the camp running around looking for one of us juniors!"

"But it's not a visiting day," Tristan replied confused.

"I know man which means she pulled some strings or convinced Caleb, and you know how strict Caleb is with the rules," Frankie replied.

"What she look like?" Tristan asked as the group entered the building with the showers.

"Brunette, blue eyes, legs that went on as far as the 'I can see'," Jake said rubbing his hands together.

"Don't forget those thigh highs that showed because her blue plaid skirt was perfectly short," Christian added with a big smile.

Tristan shook his head at the guy's desperation when it came to girls. Sure, they were all a bit desperate but Jake was the one who took it the furthest, jacking off to the bare thought of a girl. When they mentioned the color of her hair, her eyes, and the blue skirt he couldn't help but think of Rory and had a small raw hope that it was actually her there looking for him. But the way they described the girl didn't sound like his innocent Mary that he knew back in high school so he got rid of those thoughts.

"Dugrey's thinking about his Mary again!" teased Jake. All the guys knew about her and mocked Tristan all the time about her, not believing that the arrogant Tristan they knew could possibly sweating over a girl.

Tristan just shrugged and began pulling his clothes off while grabbing a towel. "Where'd the girl go?" he asked just interested in the whole situation.

"Ran off trying to find the guy she's looking for," Frankie said.

"With her plaid skirt swishing against her fine ass behind her!" Christian said high-fiving Jake who laughed.

"You would think that 3 years in this place would stop you from being such a jack ass, but nope no luck," Tristan joked as he entered one of the shower stalls.

When he first arrived at this school he felt uneasy about being butt naked in front of a bunch of guys and a bunch of guys being naked in front of him, but eventually he got used to it and stripped off his clothes like it was nothing.

Showering was a relaxing part of Tristan's day. Even though the shower stalls didn't provide much physical privacy, everyone always seemed so engulfed in their own thoughts as they took showers that they didn't bother exchanging words. Despite how tainted it sounded, shower time was the time Tristan thought of Rory the most. With the cold water pelting on his bare body, washing away all the layers of dirt he had acquired during the day, he closed his eyes thinking about his Mary.

He missed her excessively, and hated that it was his stupid actions that caused him to be taken away from her. He was different now, more mature about the way he approached things, and there wasn't a day he didn't regret the way he taunted and teased her back at Chilton. If only there was a way he could see her again, and just tell her how much he really cared about her, and how much Dean was wrong for her, then maybe his mind would be at ease.

As he thought about the last time he saw her, he reviewed the details of everything about her. Her brown locks falling from under her Elizabethan head dress, her blue eyes showing concern when he said he was leaving, her voice telling him to apologize. He closed his eyes tighter and let the water run over him, trying to an exact memory of her voice. "Tristan!" he heard her voice say aggravated. It sounded strangely close though, like it wasn't a memory at all.

"Tristan Dugrey!" he heard again causing him to snap open his eyes, hearing many guys whistle, other drop their respective soap bars, and others turning off their showers and hearing the slap of towels on newly washed bodies. It wasn't a memory, it was real.

-------  
Rory had run all across the camp trying to find her blonde haired target with no avail. She had however, successfully been stared at openly, whistled at repeatedly, and even been made some offers she didn't like thinking about. She was now at the last building, one situated directly across from the field she had seen the guys in and heard the pitter patter of water from inside. She guessed it was the showers but she was too tired, annoyed, and losing too much hope to even care that there were naked guys inside.

Rory was tired from running around. Her taut ponytail now had many flyaways and her mascara and eyeliner smudged, intensifying her blue eyes even more. Her shirt was disheveled and she had rolled the sleeves up some to try and cool her down. Her skirt had hiked up a little more and her thigh highs had slid down her legs a little lower. Her face was flushed and she just wanted to find Tristan already and kiss the living daylights of him. Very un-Rory like to think but she couldn't help it, all this work trying to find him was making her want him even more.

She pushed the door open and looked around. On the floor were piles of shed uniforms, shoes, and socks. On a folding table next to the piles was a stack of green towels, most likely for any shower goers. She looked up and saw many of the guys staring at her surprised and some sheepish. The room was lined with two rows of what looked like door less bathroom stalls with shower heads on the walls above them. Between the two rows was a center aisle that would lead her on a path of several naked but military taut butts.

Too tired to glare at the guys instead she called his name, "Tristan!" No answer.

"Tristan Dugrey!" she yelled annoyed. At this point several of the guys had dropped their washing items while others stopped their showers to tie towels around their waist.

"Tristan Dugrey I swear if you're not in here I'm going to think you're dead and throw you a funeral back at Hartford where your several bed mates will come to mourn the loss of Chilton's King Tristan Dugrey in almost not there black dresses. I will then have to kill them myself out of pure spite and jealousy and it won't be pretty!" she yelled in a huff. Several of the guys laughed and she noticed some of them were part of the group she talked to in the field.

-------  
"No way," he mumbled to himself as he heard her rant. There was no way that his Mary would say something like that and did the voice just admit to being jealous of his bed mates? The guys that had the stalls around him were now looking at his disbelieving expression and smirking.

"It's that girl from the field; she's been looking for you!" Christian said to him loud enough for the whole room to hear.

------  
Rory heard that comment and her hopes immediately soared. "Tristan?" she called again. Still with no answer, she ran down the center aisle still slightly out of breath from the exercise she wasn't used to. She followed from where she thought the voice was coming from, looking into each stall and wincing each time she hit a fully naked guy.

She was stopped by the same pervert that eyed her on the field. "Hey baby looking for me?" he asked. Rory glared. "Need I remind you your most sensitive body parts are not exactly protected at the moment and I have some school supplies in my car; scissors to cut off some things and pencils to stick up another. Now move!" she said pushing him out of the way with several of the guys laughing and whistling impressed.

She finally reached the end where she saw one of the guys she knew was from the field turned to the guy next to his stall. The guy next to him was still naked with his backed turned, well toned muscles all over his back side. Short blonde hear covered his head that refused to turn to face Rory.

------  
This couldn't be true, it wasn't his Mary that the guys were describing. That wasn't how his Mary dressed, and from what he just heard it wasn't the way she talked… but it was her voice. The voice Tristan missed hearing so much. He heard the clank of heels come closer and closer and finally stop. He could here the girl's ragged breathing and knew he had to turn around and see if he was just hallucinating. He slowly turned around and came face to face with his Un-Mary looking Rory.

------

The guy finally turned around as Rory bent over a little resting her hands on her knees and panting. She looked up from the floor, dragging her eyes up his muscular form, blushing a little noticing he was still towel less and reaching his piercing blue eyes.

It was him.

But instead of jumping on him and squealing like his other bimbo's she glared.

"Do you have any freaking clue how hard it is to find you in this country you call a school!" she yelled causing many of the guys to chuckle. "And the fact that some of these guys seriously need to get laid doesn't help at all! I can't count how many times I asked for directions to the barracks and having the guy answer me with some smart ass cocky remark!" she panted.

------

One thing on his mind: _Holy Shit. _It was her, standing right in front of his naked body and openly checking him out. She looked different, sexier… not as Mary like anymore. Her skirt did indeed show off her long legs covered with sexy thigh highs and her shirt had the top 4 buttons unbuttons revealing a necklace and a blue camisole she wore under. She had on large hoops and even some make up that made her eyes burst out at him. She seemed more confident, despite the blush that covered her face making Tristan realize his nakedness.

Instead of saying anything, he slid his towel from where it was hanging to around his waist, securing it with a knot before looking back up at her.

"Give me the names of the guys who said that, I'll kick their asses," he said suddenly not really thinking before talking. His eyes widened when he realized what he had just said and some of the guys snickered. Rory laughed and straightened. "Here I thought you'd be all giddy to see your Mary again but all you care about is kicking those guys' asses," Rory said sticking out her bottom lip a little.

"_You're_ Mary?" a disbelieving voice said causing murmuring with the guys.

"Talking about me Bible Boy?" Rory asked with a smirk. Tristan smirked back.

"Had to tell them about the only girl that was able to turn down the Dugrey charm," he replied with a shrug.

Rory feigned a sigh. "Well that's all going out the window," she said causing Tristan look at her confused. However that confusion was quickly replaced with surprise as Rory jumped up and wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling his neck with her face and giving it a small kiss there. He immediately wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, burying his head in her hair, not before motioning all of the guys to leave. They all gave him a big thumbs up and left as quickly and quietly as they could, giving Tristan time with Rory.

"This isn't how you were when I left," he said releasing her from his tight grip.

"Why don't you go and get dressed and we'll talk about how things have changed," Rory suggested pulling away. Tristan was about to agree but there was something bothering him.

"Wait, what the hell are you doing here Rory?" he asked with his hands on her shoulders.

"Later," Rory said.

"No, now," he demanded. Rory looked at the floor gathering all of her confidence to try and make it come out right. "You left without a proper goodbye…" she started.

"Are you serious? You came here to say goodbye? Plus, my proper goodbye was inappropriate considering Dean," he said, saying Dean bitterly.

"Well it's not the only reason I came, but it's one of them. Oh, and me and Dean broke up," Rory said. A look of surprise followed by a look of happiness crossed Tristan's features but a look of confusion quickly followed up.

"Rory, what's going on here? Why did you come all the way to North Carolina?" he asked.

Rory bit her bottom lip and looked up at him with tears brimming her eyes. It was now or never. "I came here because I missed you… and I came here to tell you…" A long pause followed but Tristan didn't push forward, just stared into her eyes intently.

"I came here to tell you that I love you Tristan," Rory said in a bare whisper.

"You what?" he asked stunned.

"I mean once you left; it was like everything wasn't right anymore. I would go to my locker and when I closed it I would expect you to be standing there with that cocky ass smirk waiting for me, asking me out but you weren't there. And then we started reading Romeo and Juliet for the 50th time in Literature, trying to dissect it but then I think about the night you left. I can't even listen to PJ Harvey because when I do I think about the date and how I told Dean I hated you when I really loved you. And then I…" Rory was unable to continue because suddenly Tristan's finger was pressed to her mouth.

"I love you too, and you have no idea how long I've wanted to say that," Tristan said. Rory put on a big smile.

"You can kiss me now, no boyfriend watching," she said. Tristan didn't need to be told twice as he swiftly brought his lips to hers. She immediately responded by wrapping her arms around his bare torso feeling his taut muscles shiver at her touch.

Their tongues battled for control, enjoying the moment that they had both dreamt about for so long but never truly experienced until now. It was heaven for the both of them and Rory didn't even care about the fact that Tristan was clad only in a towel. However, the need for oxygen became evident and they both had to pull away breathless, resting their foreheads against each other.

"We have got to talk about where you learned to do that, and what's with the new look," Tristan said with his usual smirk.

"We have got to talk about this wonderful outfit you're wearing," she replied with a similar smirk.

"Where'd you learn to smirk like that?" he asked, actually turned on by it.

"The Tristan inside of me," she replied with a shrug. "Oh that sounded dirty," she giggled.

Tristan groaned, "You'll be the death of me Rory Gilmore."

**----Monday Morning---**

Rory certainly had a bittersweet feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had spent an amazing extended 4 days with Tristan before Connecticut beckoned for her return. The goodbye was hard; try as she might, she was unable from letting her tears fall as bid farewell to Tristan.

"_Keep in touch Mary," Tristan said stroking her cheek with his hand lovingly._

"_Oy with the poodles Bibleboy, haven't you learned I'm not such a Mary anymore?" Rory asked with a playful glare._

"_You'll always be my Mary and if Duncan and Bowman screw with you again and try and call you Mary I'm on the first flight back from North Carolina," he said seriously._

_Rory giggled. "Bye Tristan," she said with a sigh._

"_See you later Rory," he said with a final kiss before she boarded onto the plane, not daring to look back._

"How'd it go?" Paris asked nonchalant as the group assembled in the Chilton hallway. Truth was, Paris was really interested to know how it went but of course wouldn't show it.

"Perfect," Rory said with a big grin. "I miss him already."

Louise and Madeline awed while Paris rolled her eyes and Andrew and Eric smiled, happy to see Rory happy.

"Good for you," Eric said with an arm thrown around her shoulder and a wink sent to Andrew. "When are you going to see him again?"

Before Rory could answer the double doors of the main Chilton hallway opened dramatically streaming in light and a familiar shadow. A silence settled in the corridor with the gossip mills already turning as to who the mystery silhouette belonged to.

Eric and Andrew already knew who it was.

As the double doors closed, there were several gasps in the hallways and girls already started getting ideas. Tristan Dugrey smirked, he was back in his domain. He wore the Chilton blazer perfectly, newly defined muscles protruding their way through the thin material of his light blue button down dress shirt. The girls cooed at his feet, eating him up with their eyes as Rory had a look of utter shock plastered on her face.

His blazing blue eyes searched the crowd that practically began hailing at his feet. His eyes connected with Rory's and he slowly and confidently began make his way over, with his typical smirk gracing his chiseled features. It was a sight for sore eyes.

"Wha-?" Rory asked utterly confused, looking at Louise, Madeline, and Paris who also had the perplexed look on their faces.

"Hey Tris," greeted his "friends" that he hung out with before getting kicked out of the school. Duncan and Bowman still had their goofy matching haircuts and Summer was still… Summer.

"Sup," he greeted casually, inside annoyed by the fact that the very people who got him shipped of to North Carolina were acting like nothing had changed between them.

"Nothing baby, looking good," Summer said with a wink about to link his arm with hers.

"Thanks, excuse me will you?" he said shortly continuing his journey back to Rory befuddling Summer and the guys.

As he approached her, her blue eyes grew wider and wider, and as did his smirk.

"Well would you look at the time better go to the computer lab to print out that stuff from the other day," Andrew said with a nudge to Eric.

"Oh yeah, come on ladies let's get that stuff," Eric said giving a pointed look to the girls. Paris and Louise nodded and dragged Madeline with them. "Wait guys, we so know him!" she yelled being dragged away with people hushing her.

Rory was left leaning against her locker stunned. Tristan sauntered over like it was nothing new and propped himself up with one arm against a locker, hovering over Rory just like he always used to.

"Hey Mary," he said with a smirk. Rory just stared back blankly before launching herself into his arms, allowing him to wrap his arms around her waist as her legs encircled his waist.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, unaware that a crowd was now watching.

"Well get this, apparently someone talked to Caleb, who along with being the guard for the school is also a family friend. Whoever talked to him was very convincing in telling him that I had important things waiting for me back home, and so he talked to my father and convinced him to send me back here to be with that important thing… or person," Tristan said his eyes shining and a smirk on his lips.

Rory blinked twice, and instead of answering verbally, she pulled his face in with her two hands and kissed him like there was no tomorrow, which he eagerly responded too. Before things got _too _heated, applause broke out amongst the people in the hallway, breaking the two lovers apart. Rory shook her head as Austin and Eric made kissy faces at them while Tristan smirked running a hand through his hair.

The bell rang, and Tristan turned to Rory with a sincere smile, "Walk you to class Mar?" he asked.

Rory smiled back, "Surely," she replied grabbing her books from her locker. He easily took them with one hand and wrapped his other arm around her shoulders leading the way through the crowd of Chiltonites watching.

Before they disappeared from the end of the hallway, Tristan turned back slightly with his cocky expression plastered on his face. "By the way, Duncan, Bowman, don't think I didn't hear what you tried to pull while I was gone… if I were either one of you I'd stay away from **my **girlfriend or I'd might have to put that training in Military school to use," he yelled with his best leer causing their faces to pale. "Actually that goes for _all _of you," he added before turned topping his dramatic exit with, "The king of Chilton's back baby!" leaving everyone staring and Rory laughing and rolling her eyes as they disappeared from the corridor.

* * *

**AN:** I liked ending it like that. Sorry if it sucked I just had to get it out of me. Keep an eye out for "An Applause for the Encore" sequel to "Three Cheers for the Teenage Years." It's in the works! 


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